Page 6 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

“Alex! Their eyes. Look at their eyes!”

We didn’t notice at first because of the falling darkness, but the wolves’ eyes are pitch black.

“I see them,” Alex replies grimly. “They aren’t planning to leave us alone.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, one of the wolves lunges at Alex. At the same time, the one closest to me jumps on me. I don’t know what Alex is doing, but I grab the wolf attacking me by the neck and toss it to the ground, on its back.

I’m not about to be a sitting duck here.

However, the wolf is back on its feet, snarling at me. I’m pretty sure I heard a crack when it hit the ground. What is going on?

I glance over at Alex. He has shifted into his wolf form, but he’s also having a hard time with these wolves. They don’t seem to be going down. I don’t understand. They’re just wolves. They shouldn’t be a problem for us. As I shove away the other wolf circling me, I sense that this has something to do with magic. My skin is still tingling, and their eyes…Are they under some sort of magic spell?

Is that how magic works?

I’ve never met a witch before, so I don’t really have anything to base my assumptions on.

“Why won’t you just stay down?” I move sideways to avoid the animal as it jumps to his feet and tries to attack me. I don’t particularly enjoy hurting animals. And this situation is making me feel like a monster, constantly hurting these innocent beasts.

Another wolf bursts out of the trees, rushing toward me, and I hear Alex growl loudly. He makes a move in my direction. However, he’s too far away, and I’m too tangled up with the two wolves I’ve been fighting this whole time.

This is it, I realize dimly as I see the wolf approach me, its jaw wide open.I have to shift!

But my body isn’t accustomed to changing forms quickly. And the fear that is building up within me at the sight of the approaching wolf is not allowing me to establish the link with my beast to bring about the transformation.

I squeeze my eyes shut as it covers the distance between us, knowing death or a fatal injury is seconds from happening.

Then, out of nowhere, a clear voice suddenly begins shouting something in a strange language. The words pierce me, forcing my eyes open, my body shivering as the power coating those words reaches me.

Magic.

If I ever had any doubt, it’s gone now.

This feeling, this rush of power moving within me, it can only be magic. I’ve never felt something so pure and alive before.

My head swivels to the side, and I see a figure standing by the edge of the trees. The person has their hand pressed against their side as if wounded, a hooded dark cloak concealing their face and body.

But it’s a feminine voice.

She hobbles forward, her hand outstretched as she keeps chanting.

That’s when I notice that the wolves are no longer attacking us. Instead, they are on the ground, their bodies seizing. That rotting smell I had picked up before is intensifying.

Alex doesn’t spare a moment, grabbing me with his teeth and moving me behind him in an attempt to shield me from the intruder. However, the woman isn’t paying any attention to us. She is solely focused on the wolves. Whatever she’s doing is clearly hurting them, and I have to bite my tongue not to beg her to stop.

Alex must’ve sensed my tension because he shifts into his human form and glances back at me. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

I shake my head silently, unable to tear my eyes away from the horror unfolding before me. The way the wolves are contorting on the forest floor and the terrible sounds coming from their mouths have my heart tightening with nausea.

“Does she have to torture them?” I burst out.

“I don’t know if she is,” Alex murmurs, his voice strange.

“What do you mean?”

“They smell like—”

He doesn’t get to finish the sentence because, just then, the wolves finally go still. It’s almost as if a barrier has been removed from their bodies. The stench of death reaches my nose, and I place my hand over it.

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